Christmastime
by The-3-Sueslayers
Summary: Just a bunch of christmasy oneshots. Set sometime after Unity. I don't own anything, but I hope you R&R! Sueslayer2
1. Peach's Grownup Christmas List

This is set an indefinate amount of time after Unity. None of the oneshots will be conneced, by the way. They're all completely seperate senarios.

* * *

Peach sat down on her bed, holding her diary in one hand and a pen in the other. Christmas. How long had it been since she'd thought of it like that?

_Do you remember me?  
I sat upon your knee.  
I wrote to you with childhood fantasies._

Opening her book, she set pen to paper and began to write. She laughed to herself. Nana had been so exited about writing a letter to Santa Claus. It was a child's fantasy, and yet it made Peach smile._ My first letter to Santa in... how many years?_

_Well, I'm all grown-up now...  
__But still need help, somehow.  
__I'm not a child... but my heart still can dream_.

Peach thought. If she could have anything, anything in the whole world, what would it be?

_So here's my lifelong wish.  
My grown up Christmas list.  
Not for myself  
but for a world in need..._

She thought back to the beginning of their journeys. The pain and hopelessness they had all felt. It hurt so much to see the ones you love and your best friends hurting, and to hurt so much yourself that you couldn't do a thing. She never wanted that to happen to anyone, ever again.

_No more lives torn apart.  
That wars would never start.  
__And time would heal all hearts..._

No one should have to hurt like Samus did, feeling alone and blaming herself for something she couldn't have changed. She'd tortured herself so much, and to keep it from happening ever again, she had pretended to be something she was not, locked herself away from love.

_And everyone would have a friend.  
And right would always win.  
And love would never end..._

Being lost was the worst thing in the world. And everyone had been lost. Marth had been lost with questions of the future. Mewtwo had been lost in silence. Samus had been lost in regret. Bowser had been lost in something he wasn't.

And she, Peach, had been lost too, hadn't she? Struggling against a tide of fate and time. A curse, hanging over her head for so long. No one else should have to deal with that.

_This is my grown-up Christmas list._

Peach heard someone laughing, and footsteps raced past her door. They carried in their hands chocolate and sugary things.

"Come help!" Nana called. "We're making fudge!"

Peach laughed and picked up her diary. She carried it down the stairs in the Smash Mansion, moving towards the kitchen.

There was a sprig of mistletoe hung from the ceiling. Link and Zelda were looking up at it.

"That," Peach said helpfully, "is mistletoe. Anyone who steps under it has to kiss."

Link and Zelda smiled and obliged.

_As children we believed  
__the grandest sight to see  
__was something lovely wrapped beneath a tree..._

The kitchen was full of cakes and candies, in preparation for Christmas. Nana and Popo were cheerfully making a mess of a bowl of chocolate goo. Peach sat down in a chair at the table.

Samus laughed. "Let me help you with that," she said, walking over. Taking the bowl from Nana and the spoon from Popo, she began to mix small chocolate chips into the goo.

_Well heaven only knows  
that packages and bows  
can never heal a hurting human soul._

Samus' expression became distant, a sad smile on her face. "The last time I made fudge..." In a moment, she was lost in memories.

As Samus stirred mindlessly, Ike slipped into the kitchen. He looked at the bowl of chocolate for a moment, then dipped a finger in and licked it.

"Hey!" Nana said, hitting him on the leg with a wooden spoon. "No eating the fudge until it's ready!"

Samus focused again. "What?"

"He's eating the fudge out of the bowl!" Nana shouted.

Samus laughed. "Ike, stay out of the fudge. Let us finish it first."

Ike laughed too. "Just trying to see if you were actually paying attention to your surroundings and not lost in the past."

Samus nodded and laughed. "Me? Never."

_No more lives torn apart.  
That wars would never start.  
__And time would heal all hearts..._

Moving into another room, Peach saw Ness glaring at a string of popcorn.

"What's wrong?" Peach asked.

"I can get it up there," Ness pointed to the walkway on the second level, overlooking the room, "But I can't get it to stick to the railing."

Peach laughed. "I'll go up there. You levitate it up to me, and I'll wrap it around the rail. How's that?"

Ness smiled. "Okay," he said.

_And everyone would have a friend.  
And right would always win.  
And love would never end..._

She caught the string of popcorn. She looked down the walkway and spotted Falco. "Hey, can you get the other end?"

Falco looked over, smiled, and grabbed a hold. "What do I do with it?"

"Just wrap it around the rail here."

"Got it," Falco said.

_This is my grown-up Christmas list._

Down in the main hallway, she saw Nana bounce into the room. She was still covered in chocolate dust, and she was towing Roy.

"C'mon!" she cried. "Light the fire!"

Roy closed his eyes and held out his hand.

_What is this illusion called the innocence of youth?_

A fireball lit the logs sitting in the fireplace. Nana pulled out a piece of paper, slightly saturated with chocolate. Her letter to Santa Claus. She folded it neatly in half, and threw it into the fireplace. A burst of smoke floated upwards, and she laughed.

_Maybe only in our blind belief can we ever find the truth..._

That night, everyone ate together. There was talking and laughing, stories and remembering. Peach smiled from her seat between Mario and Samus.

"Santa's gonna come tonight!" Nana called, laughing.

"And what's he going to bring you?" Roy asked.

Nana looked serous. "A new parka. And a big cookie that I can share with everyone, that says 'Merry Christmas' on it. And I asked for a special pen for Popo, a better toolbox for Samus, a new belt for Ike, a necklace for Zelda..." She went on to describe something she had requested for each person there.

_No more lives torn apart.  
That wars would never start.  
__And time would heal all hearts...  
__And everyone would have a friend.  
And right would always win.  
And love would never end...  
__This is my grown-up Christmas list._

Most everyone was asleep. Peach stood alone in the great hall, looking at the slowly dying flames. She looked down at the diary, at the heartfelt plea she had written for everything to be alright.

Peach tore the letter out of her diary. She wrote a last few lines on the bottom

_This is my only lifelong wish...  
__This is my grown up Christmas list._

_Love, Peach._

The letter sent a puff of smoke up the chimney.

_

* * *

_Review please! I always like comments!


	2. Popo and Nana's memories

This is a more sombre one. I felt sad writing it. :'( Thankfully, it's also much shorter.

Here we go!

* * *

Popo sat by the fire. It was Christmas Eve.

Around him, everyone chatted lightly with each other. Nana leaned against him, starting silently in the flames.

"Remember Christmas?" Nana said quietly.

To anyone else, it would have been a confusing, cryptic comment - wasn't Christmas all around them at that very moment? But Popo knew what she meant. "Yeah," he said.

_Candles in the window,  
shadows painting the ceiling._

"I remember," Nana continued. "The tree had real little candles on it. And we ate fudge."

Popo remembered it. All too well. The warmth of the mountain cabin where he and Nana had lived. The hushed tales of Santa Claus and the sweet scent of cocoa and fudge. Nana had been little then, barely more than a baby. But somehow she remembered.

_Gazing at the fire glow...  
feeling that gingerbread feeling._

"D'you miss them?" Nana asked, not meeting Popo's eyes.

"Yeah," Popo agreed. "Every day and every night. You were... four or five, weren't you? And we all sat by the fire... you on mom's lap, and me between her and dad. And we sang carols, and made snow-angels, and they told us about the wonderful present they had for us on Christmas Day."

_Precious moments.  
Special people._

Nana looked up, and her eyes were wet. "We'll never see them again."

"Sure we will!" Popo said. "And then think about how happy they'll be! They'll be so proud of us."

_Happy faces  
I can see..._

Nana was serious. "Pop, you can stop lying to me. I know we're not their real children. We only have their memories. We... we don't have a mommy or a daddy." The tears resurfaced, and she buried her face in Popo's shirt.

_Somewhere in my memory.  
Christmas joys all around me._

"But we have each other," Popo said, hugging his little sister tight, trying to hold back his own tears. "As long as we have each other, we can beat anything. And we have all the people here. We have friends, and family."

"But..." Nana sobbed. "But it's not like that." She hugged her brother tighter.

"No," said Popo sadly. "It's not like that." he let his chin sink onto the top of her head, and patted her back as he cried himself.

_Living in my memory...  
__All of the music.  
__All of the magic.  
__All of the family home here with me._

Nana sniffed, wiping her tears. "Merry Christmas, Popo," she whispered.

"Merry Christmas, Nan."

_In my memory..._

* * *

:'(

Well, review!


	3. All Beth wants for Christmas

In a review for Unity's final chapter (besides the epilogue), someone commented that they hoped Beth confessed how she felt to Marth soon. I'd never intended her to, I was really just going to make her huge crush a running joke, but that got me thinking... With a friend like Lady Melanie, Beth would be hard-pressed not to. Mel would make her. Then I decided, since it's christmastime, I'd make it a christmas songfic. So, drgnaurora95, here's what happens when Beth tries to own up.

Summary: Marth discovers the truth behind Beth's posture at the piano, while Beth tries to find the words to tell him how she feels.

Here we go!

* * *

Beth watched from her seat in the corner of the room. She couldn't help it. She was fascinated.

_I don't want a lot for Christmas.  
There's just one thing I need._

Mel came over and sat down. "So, Beth, what's up?"

Beth shrugged. "I don't know," she said. "Not much."

Melanie laughed in her face. "You look like a lovesick little girl. Who's the lucky boy?" She moved behind Beth and followed her gaze. Then she grinned. "Ah," she said.

_I don't care about the presents  
underneath the Christmas tree._

"What am I going to do?" Beth asked, feeling helpless.

"What are you going to do? What are you, twelve? You're going to tell him how you feel. It's that simple."

_I just want you for my own.  
More than you could ever know._

"But I... I don't know what to say..." Beth blurted out the first excuse that popped into her head.

"Tell him you like him. It's that simple." Melanie smiled. "I'd forgotten you'd never done this before."

Bethany shook her head.

"Okay," Melanie said. "Step one is to get him alone. The rest? You just have to wing it."

_Make my wish come true.  
All I want for Christmas is...  
You._

Beth felt butterflies in her stomach. It was ridiculous, it really was, feeling like this. But she'd never looked up from her music and her friends long enough to really like someone. She look a deep breath.

"Hey, Marth?"

_I don't want a lot for Christmas.  
There's just one thing I need._

Marth looked up. "Beth, why do you sit like that when you're sight-reading? Your shoulders are all hunched over." He touched her shoulder with one hand. "If you sit up straighter, you'll be able to move your hands more quickly."

The little courage Bethany had in her fled at that. This is pathetic, she thought. Mel never has problems like this with men. She obeyed his instructions and sat up straighter, but had to squint to see the notes.

_I don't care about the presents  
underneath the Christmas tree._

Beth ran up to Marth. He seemed to be alone at the moment, walking through the hall. "Hey, Marth!"

Marth smiled at her. "Hi, Beth."

"Can I talk to you for a minute?"

_I don't need to hang my stocking  
there upon the fireplace._

Marth shrugged. "If you can talk while you're walking. I have to be at the Battlefield in five minutes to referee a spar between Link and Ganondorf."

"Ooh," Beth shuddered. "That's gonna be a tough one. They hate each other, don't they?"

"Not exactly," Marth said. "The relationship between those two is a very confusing thing. I don't quite understand it myself. Link believes in Zelda's belief that Ganondorf is good at heart, but I think he has trouble forgiving him for the people he's hurt in the past." The two of them entered a crowded hallway.

"Actually," Beth said, "I can wait. See you later?"

Marth smiled. "Sure." Soon he was out of her sight.

_Santa Claus won't make me happy  
with a toy on Christmas day._

In her most graceful writing, Beth explained that she had something to tell Marth, and that she wanted to talk to him alone. She folded it into a neat square, wrote Marth on the front. She then placed it on the table in the hallway, where he'd be sure to walk by it when he came out of the room he was in at the moment. She was disgusted with herself, reverting to such juvenile methods because she was too shy to tell him herself.

_I just want you for my own.  
More than you could ever know.  
Make my wish come true...  
All I want for Christmas is you._

The door opened. But instead of Marth, Ike walked out of the room, with ROB coming shortly after.

Ike's sword, strapped to his waist as always, bumped into the table slightly, knocking her note to the floor, where it was promptly run over by ROB. Beth groaned.

She picked up the sad, crumpled piece of paper. Marth walked by. He turned when he saw her, waved. She smiled back. Then, once he was out of sight, she laughed sadly. It seemed, the first time she liked a man enough to chase him, it was doomed to complete and utter failure. Typical.

_I won't ask for much this Christmas.  
I don't even wish for snow._

"Okay, this is useless," Melanie said.

Beth was irritable. She snapped, "Mel, you're gorgeous, you're smart, you're kind and likeable, you're in a position of power. You could have any man you wanted! And so far, you have! I'm not like that. I'm not you! I..." She looked down. "I'm so scared that he won't like me, and I'll lose him all together."

Melanie took her hands. "Beth, it's not gonna happen. You won't lose him, I promise. Now, answer me this honestly. Do you want Marth to know how you feel?"

Beth nodded. "Yeah," she said.

_I'm just gonna keep on waiting  
underneath the mistletoe._

Melanie let go of Beth's hands and clapped her own together."Then let's get started. Obviously plan A didn't work, so we'll have to use plan B."

"What's plan B?"

Melanie smiled. "Mistletoe."

_I won't make a list and send it  
to the North Pole for Saint Nick._

Beth looked up. There it was, in the doorway. Mistletoe. All she had to do was work up the nerve once they got there.

Marth reached for the doorknob when a bell rang through the building. It was the huge bell that whoever was cooking rang when the meal was ready. It was usually Peach and Mr. Game&Watch who cooked, because Peach liked cooking and Game&Watch liked helping Peach. Today was no exception.

Marth looked over. "I guess dinner's ready," Marth said, turning and walking the opposite way. Beth followed, frustrated.

_I won't even stay awake to  
hear those magic reindeers click._

Melanie gave Beth a questioning look when she sat down. Beth shook her head.

Mel sighed. "Beth," she said, "You're useless."

"I know," Beth agreed.

_'Cause I just want you here tonight.  
Holding on to me so tight.  
What more can I do?  
Baby, all I want for Christmas is you._

Beth let out a growl of frustration. "I give up!" she said. "It's never going to work!"

"Give what up?" Marth appeared, seemingly out of nowhere, behind her.

She punched the wall. "Oh, forget it," she said.

Marth said, "Beth, I have something for you."

Beth turned around. Marth was smiling. He continued. "I noticed you were squinting at the music when we were playing together. You had trouble seeing the music?"

Beth nodded. "It goes a little fuzzy when I'm sitting up straight."

Marth handed her a piece of paper. "Can you read this?"

Beth held it close to her eyes, read it out.

"That's what I thought," Marth said. "Close your eyes."

_All the lights are shining  
so brightly everywhere._

Beth obeyed, feeling the butterflies return with children and grandchildren in tow. She felt Marth's hand brush her ear as he placed something on her face.

"Now open them," he said.

When Beth opened her eyes, everything was clearer. She reached up and touched the metal frames on her face. "Glasses..." she said. "And to think, that's all I needed to be able to see properly, for all this time..."

Marth smiled."I think you'll find the music easier to read now." His face was clear in front of her eyes. Everything was clear. She couldn't help it. She started grinning.

"Thanks so much!" she said.

_And the sound of children's  
laughter fills the air._

Peach skipped down the hallway. She stopped when she walked past them, then turned back. She smiled at the two of them and reached into her pocket. Out of it, she pulled a small sprig of green and white. She walked between them, stood on tiptoe and hung the plant above their heads. She smiled at Beth. "It's mistletoe," she said. "It means you have to-"

"I know," Beth said, cutting her off. Peach smiled and left.

_And everyone is singing,  
I hear those sleigh bells ringing,_

Beth closed her eyes. "Please don't hate me," she said in a tiny voice. She opened her eyes, took a deep breath. Then she reached out, grabbed Marth's shoulders, and kissed him.

_Santa won't you bring me the one I really need...  
Won't you please bring my baby to me..._

When she backed up, Marth had a baffled look on his face.

"I... have to go. I've got... uh... kitchen duty!" Beth shot him a sheepish grin as she turned and ran.

She left Marth standing in the hallway, wondering what had just happened.

Beth smiled as she ran. "Merry Christmas, Marth," she whispered to herself, fingering her glasses.

_Oh I don't want a lot for Christmas.  
This is all I'm asking for  
I just want to see my baby  
standing right outside my door.I just want you for my own.  
More than you could ever know.  
Make my wish come true...  
Baby all I want for Christmas is you._

* * *

Yes, Beth had always needed glasses. This whole time. Smart Marth, to figure that out.

Thank you very much for reading!


	4. When Christmas Comes to Town

Here's another one! The juices are flowing for this story! This one's all about Young Link. He doesn't really feel at home with Christmas, and Zelda's being motherly and trying to help him out.

* * *

Young Link stared out the window, chin on one hand, looking at the snow. Nana, Popo, and the youngest of the Priestesses and Bards played in the snow. They built snow-sculptures, they made angels.

He wondered what it was like to celebrate Christmas with your friends like they did. He didn't really understand Christmas, and he'd never had a proper one before. He'd always watched from a distance, embarrassed by his lack of knowledge about it, or any holiday, really. The Kokiri had never celebrated the holidays the others did. He sighed, remembering a song from a play the Sanctuary kids had put on.

__

"I'm wishing on a star  
and trying to believe  
that even though it's far  
he'll find me Christmas Eve."

Zelda stopped in the hallway. The song was familiar, and so was the voice. She stood in the doorway as Young Link continued.

__

"I guess that Santa's busy  
cause he's never come around.  
I think of him  
when Christmas comes to town."

She walked into his room. "Hi," she said.

Young Link turned quickly, then sighed. "Oh," he said. "Hi Zelda."

Zelda smiled at him. "What's the matter?"

Young Link shrugged. "I've... never had a real Christmas. I don't get it."

"Oh, yeah," Zelda said. "the Kokiri never celebrated Christmas, did they?"

Young Link shook his head.

"No one did," Zelda said. "Hyrule doesn't, as a general rule. But there's a Christmas now. Why don't you go play with the others?" She smiled. Also having seen the play, she sang the next part.

__

"The best time of the year!  
When everyone comes home.  
With all this Christmas cheer,  
it's hard to be alone.

"Putting up the Christmas tree  
with friends who come around.  
It's so much fun  
when Christmas comes to town!

"Presents for the children,  
wrapped in red and green!"

Young Link looked sadly at her, added,

__

"All the things I've heard about  
but never really seen."

"I'm embarrassed at the things I don't know," he said. "And... it's all so confusing."

"That's true," Zelda said. "Other customs can be confusing. But you're isolating yourself from learning anything up here." She continued the song, hugging Young Link. He sang along, still feeling unsure.

__

"No one will be sleeping on  
the night of Christmas Eve  
hoping Santa's on his way!

__

"When Santa's sleigh bells ring,"

"I listen all around."

"The herald angels sing!"

"I never hear a sound."

__

"When all the dreams of children,  
once lost will all be found.  
That's all I want  
when Christmas comes to town."

"Give Christmas a chance," Zelda coaxed. "Why don't you go downstairs? Ness could probably use some help with that tree. And I bet he'd be happy to explain to you anything you don't understand. At least give it a try."

Young Link smiled, letting go of Zelda. "Okay," he said, letting her lead him out onto the stairs. "I'll come."

Ness looked up at them, away from an ornament suspended in the air halfway up a tree. "Link!" he called. "Come help me out! My fine control could use a lot of work... these ornaments keep falling off!"

"Coming!" Young Link called. As he ran downstairs to his friend, he heard Zelda start the last line of the song. He sang it with her.

__

"That's all I want  
when Christmas comes to town."

* * *

^^ Thankies! Short and kinda crappy, but I needed to express the cuteness of that song, that moment, and Young Link in general.


	5. Nana's Merry Christmas

Here's a Christmas Eve story, you get a morning story TOMORROW.

Here we go! Review, please!

* * *

Nana sidled up to Roy. "Roooooy?" she asked.

"What's up?" Roy turned around.

Nana put on her most innocent, pleading face. Roy smiled. "You're giving me the cute face. That means you want something. What is it?"

"Can we have a Christmas tree? And can we decorate it? And have popcorn and lights and everything?"

Roy grinned at her enthusiasm. "I bet we could do that. You and Popo go find a tree, and Marth and I can bring it in after dinner."

Nana squealed with delight and rushed off.

"For her to be that happy, something must have gone right. What did you just promise her?" Marth walked into the room.

"Marth, you've just been drafted."

"I knew that was coming. What am I supposed to do?" Marth smiled.

"Well, after dinner, you and I are going to get Nana a Christmas tree."

Marth thought a moment. "So we just have to go and drag a tree in here? That doesn't sound too bad."

Roy smiled. "Good," he said, turning to Ike, who had just walked in. "Hey, Ike."

"Hi," Ike said. He smiled. "You made Nana very happy. She was bubbling over about how great you two were and that you were going to get her a tree. I can help with that, if you want."

"I promised her we'd get it after dinner," Roy said. "She's going out with Popo to pick one."

Ike nodded.

—

"C'mon!" Nana laughed, pulling Popo through the snow. "We've gotta find the most perfect Christmas tree in the whole forest!"

"Yeah," Popo said. "But it's gotta be small enough for them to carry."

"Uh huh. Oooh! Look at that one!" she pulled him further.

—

"Dinner's pretty much ready!" Peach called, "But Mr. Game&Watch and I are going to need some help getting it all on the table." She walked into the main hall, the little shadow dancing around her feet. Both of them wore red caps with white bobbles on the end. Game&Watch and Peach had become the unofficial cooks of the place. Peach was a superb cook, and Game&Watch loved helping her. Since none of the others particularly enjoyed or excelled at cooking, the task always ended up with them.

"I can help," said Samus. She looked around. "Where's Nana and Popo?"

Ness closed his eyes for a moment. "They're in the woods," he said. "I'll call them."

A few minutes later, Nana and Popo burst in. They were covered in snow and cold to the core.

Leaving their coats and boots by the fire, they ran to their seats at the table.

"Did you find a tree?" Marth asked.

"Uh huh!" Nana said. "It's perfect! Let's go! Let's go!"

"Uh uh," Roy said, wiggling a finger at her. "Dinner first."

Zelda laughed. "When did you two get to be good with kids?"

Marth and Roy looked at Zelda for a moment, then shrugged.

A moment later, Game&Watch came in, balancing a platter bigger than his head. Peach carried a pot in one hand and a stack of plates in the other. Lastly came Samus, burdened with two jugs and a tower of glasses that swayed perilously.

"Let me," Zelda said, taking half of Samus' cups.

"I'll take something," said Link, "if you'd like the help."

"Please," Peach said.

A minute or so later, the table was set, and everyone dug in.

"This is amazing," Samus said.

"You outdid yourself on this," Roy added.

"It's-a great!" Mario agreed.

Peach flushed with pleasure. "Thank you," she said.

The moment dinner was over, Nana leaped to her feet. "Come on!" she shouted. "Let's go get the tree!"

Roy laughed. "OK, let's go," he said, getting to his feet. Marth and Ike followed shortly. They put on heavy winter coats, and Nana and Popo donned theirs.

Outside, it had started to snow. Wind was blowing and snow was getting thicker. "This way! This way!" Nana cried.

Marth, Roy and Ike followed.

The tree was magnificent. It was large, but not huge, and perfectly shaped. The branches stuck out beautifully, and with the snow and ice glimmering on it, it looked like it was already decorated.

The wind blew harder, and the tree bent.

"If we cut it here," Marth said, pointing to the bend, "It will come off easily."

They set to work at cutting the tree. Soon, it was almost split. But at that very moment, a huge gust of wind blew, snapping what remained of the beautiful tree and sending it rolling away from them.

Zelda's voice sounded in their heads. _There is going to be an even bigger snowstorm than this. As big as the one we braved coming back from the Final Destination. Please, come back. Quickly, or this one won't have as happy an ending as the last._

"A tree! We need a tree first!" Nana cried.

"Alright," Marth said, pointing to the next tree. "Lets try that one."

The three set to work on the next tree, but the wind tore it away from them again. The same thing happened to the third tree as well. And it only got colder. With every tree that rolled away, Nana grew more and more distressed.

"Nana, we have to go in," Ike said. "To stay out here any longer would be suicide!"

Nana sniffed and nodded. Ike picked her up and put her on his shoulders. "Hold on," he said, as the three ran back towards the Smash Mansion.

They burst into the warmth of the main hall, slamming the doors closed against the wind.

"No tree?" Popo asked.

"We couldn't," Ike said. "We tried, but we couldn't get a tree."

Nana sat down in the corner, still in her coat and boots. When they looked over, they realised she was quietly crying.

"I'm sorry," Ike said. "We tried. You saw us."

Nana nodded. "I know." she said, hugging her knees.

Samus walked over to Nana. "Come here," she said, pulling the little girl to her feet. "Let's get your coat off, and I'll get you some cocoa. How's that sound?"

Nana sniffed again, wiping her eyes. "Okay." She shrugged her coat off, and kicked her boots at the fire. Samus lifted Nana up into her arms, and Nana buried her face in Samus' shoulder. Samus carried Nana into the kitchen.

Popo sniffed. "Poor Nan," he said.

"Christmas is so important to her," Ike said. "Popo, can you tell us why? We might be able to comfort her a little better."

"Christmas..." Popo said, "is the last memory Nana has of Mom and Dad. It's the last time we saw them. We had a tree, and fudge, and everything was beautiful. Now, Christmas is Nana's favourite thing in the world, because it reminds her of home."

"Oh..." Peach said. "You poor kids."

"I'm okay," said Popo. "I have other memories. But Christmas is all Nana really remembers. She was so little then. The candles and the tree _are_ her home. She doesn't remember much else anymore."

In the kitchen, Nana sat listlessly at the table, staring into a mug of hot chocolate.

"Why don't we go sit by the fire," Samus suggested.

"Okay," Nana said. She drooped as she walked back to the fire. Samus sat beside her, and Popo sat on her other side. Everyone tried to think of something to say, but no one could. A snowstorm had denied a little girl who wasn't even ten years old of the only home she remembered. What could they say that could change that?

"Nan," Popo said. "Wanna go light some candles? We have a whole bunch! We'll put them everywhere!"

Nana put down her hot chocolate. "Not really," she said. "I'm gonna go to bed. I'm tired." She sniffed again. She got up, leaving her little mug sitting by the grate, and walked towards the stairs. "G'night," she said. Her shoulders were shaking.

"Wait," Popo said. "I'll come too." He ran after his sister.

The cheerful mood that had filled the hall gave way to sadness. No one could be happy with that heartbroken little face still strong in their minds. Shortly, everyone went to bed.

The last people to remain were Mewtwo, staring blankly into the fire, Jigglypuff, who sat beside him, and Bowser. Bowser got to his feet, walked off after a moment.

Mewtwo continued to stare into the fire. Jigglypuff sang a soft lament.

Soon the two of them left as well.

—

Nana awoke. The sound of the howling wind had ceased. Popo was asleep next to her.

Gently, so as not to wake him, she got to her feet, slipped out of the room and down the hallway. She stared bleakly at the empty room, and walked to the dark fireplace.

Putting on her boots, she opened one of the main doors.

A soft sound caught her attention. Bells?

She raced out into the perfect snow. It was! She followed the sound, running around the building.

A sleigh was sitting in the snow. It gave off a slight glow, illuminating Nana's face, and that of the man in the sleigh. He smiled at her. "Hello there."

Of course Nana knew who he was. He wore dark clothes, but a beautiful red cloak, lined with pure white fur. His hat was like Link's, but made of the same red material and white fur, the rim blending in to his white hair.

"Santa!" she whispered, fear and wonder mixing on her face.

He laughed. His laugh was wonderful. It was full of joy, pure and simple. It was loving, wrapping around Nana like a warm coat, chasing away her fear. "That's right," he said. "You're Nana, aren't you?"

Nana nodded, amazed.

"You asked for a present for each of your friends," Santa Claus said. "That was a very sweet and generous thing to do. How would you like to help me?"

"Help you?" Nana could only gasp.

Santa nodded. "My daughter usually helps me with my deliveries. But she's busy right now. How'd you like to come with me? I have a whole bunch of toys to deliver." He smiled, motioned to his sack. "I know how sad you were. Perhaps this will make it better? I'll have you home before sunrise."

"Yes!" Nana cried. "Yes! I want to help!"

Santa patted the seat beside him on the sleigh. "Climb in," he said. He draped a soft blanket over her knees.

"Alright!" he called, in a booming voice, to the reindeer harnessed to the sleigh. "Let's go! Up, up and away!"

A moment later, the sleigh was in the sky. The sky itself was full of brilliant ribbons of colour. Nana gasped again. "What are those?"

"They're called the Northern Lights," Santa said. "They're what I use to get around so fast." The reindeer landed on a ribbon of bright green light, and ran along it.

"They're amazing!" Nana laughed. She couldn't help it. Less than ten minutes ago, she had been the saddest girl in the world. Now, she was so filled with joy that it made her giddy. Santa's booming laugh mixed with hers, and her heart soared even higher.

"Woah," Santa called to the reindeer. They slowed their pace, and angled downwards. They were on their way towards a snow-covered little house.

They landed gently near the door. "Shall we?" Santa asked. He reached into a sack, and pulled out a gigantic candy cane. He added to that a package, wrapped in bright paper. Then, he held out a little star to Nana.

She took it from him. "It's like Elyan's star!"

"Elyan's star?"

"Yeah," she laughed, pulling her own light out of her pocket. "Elyan gave it to me! He used to be scared of the dark, and this girl had it made for him, and now he gave it to me."

Santa smiled. "Make sure you don't mix up the two," he said. "You'll want to keep yours."

They crept into the house. Santa waved a hand at the Christmas tree, and it glowed in beautiful colours. The top branch, though, remained dark.

"That's where the star goes," Santa whispered. He picked up Nana and boosted her towards the top. She put the little star on the top branch, and it glowed even more brightly.

Santa smiled gently, as he placed the present under the tree. "And the candy cane goes in the stocking." He handed it to her.

Nana tiptoed over to the little sock pinned up by the fire, and put in the candy cane.

"Let's go," Santa said. "We have a lot of toys to deliver, and we only have tonight." he winked, and the two were back in the sleigh.

Nana gasped, laughing. "That's so cool!" she said.

"Up, up and away!"

—

By all rights, someone should have heard the noises Holly was making as she set up the Christmas tree in the main hall and filled the room with candles. But that was perk number 1 about being Santa's daughter: No one woke up when she didn't want them to.

She smiled as she gently placed wrapped packages under the tree and decorated it with glowing orbs that would fade the next morning. She hoped the little child Papa had felt for this year had the best Christmas of her life.

—

Nana laughed as the sleigh flew along a strand of golden light. "Where's the next house?"

"Down here." Santa pointed to a small village. "Woah, there! Down we go!"

They landed in the centre of the village.

A familiar purple glow made Nana whirl around. A Wire Frame was approaching.

Nana screamed. "Wire Frame!" she shouted, grabbing a stick off of the ground. "I can beat it, Santa. I'm a good fighter now!"

"Wait," Santa said, putting a hand on her arm. He took the branch out of her hands, and put a present in it instead. "Try this."

Nana held the present out to the Wire Frame. It took the package, bowed to them, and left. She looked back at Santa in wonder. "I thought they were evil."

"They're not. Their masters were evil. But their masters are gone now. They have good hearts, now that they've been allowed to develop them." Santa smiled. "This is the Village of the Frames. Let's go." He gave her some presents and candy canes, and pointed her to a little row of houses. "You can do those three," he said.

Nana slipped into the houses. Each one had Wire Frames in it. Families slept together on the same bed, transparent arms around each other. Nana delivered toys, lit small Christmas trees. The scenes made her smile. Some of the Frames even had tiny babies in cradles.

When she was back in the sleigh with Santa, she looked out on the village. "It's amazing," she said. "I always thought they were bad."

"Not many are truly bad. Everyone has good in them somewhere. We have a few more deliveries to make. Would you like to do the honours?"

Nana smiled. "Up, up and away!" she shouted.

The next house was a cabin in a forest. It wasn't snowing there. It was cool, but not cold. The forest was still lush, and there were animals sleeping around the area.

When Santa and Nana crept inside, they saw an old woman sleeping on a bed. On a cot next to it, a black-haired boy and a brown-haired girl lay cuddled up to each other.

"Let's see..." Santa thought a moment. "The girl's name is Takimi. She wants dancing shoes and some material to make beds for the animals. Jin wants a wood stove so he doesn't have to cook over an open fire. Their Grandmother never wrote, but she needs a new staff and a needle and thread." He pulled some packages out of his sack. He waved his hand, and a wood stove appeared in the corner. Putting his head to one side, he said, "we need to hurry. We have half an hour to go." He snapped his fingers again.

They stopped at a magic school, and filled the bottom of their huge tree with presents. They stopped at an inn and left a present under one of the beds. A little girl was asleep, cold and shivering, in a tree. Santa decorated the tree in tinsel and gold, and covered her with a warm blanket.

Soon, they landed back outside the Smash Mansion. "You'll have to go now, Nana," Santa said.

Nana looked down. "Okay," she said.

Santa smiled. "Don't be sad. Maybe you'll see me again next year." He tousled her hair. Then Nana felt a warmth around her cold ears. When she looked up, Santa's head was bare. He winked. "Good night, Nana," he said, snapping his fingers.

Nana was in the hallway in Smash Mansion, just outside of her bedroom. She opened the door and slipped inside.

She heard a woman's laughter. When she looked out of the window, there was a beautiful red-haired lady sitting in the sleigh beside Santa. She saw Nana looking at her and waved.

As the sleigh rose up and circled the building, the lady sang.

__

And so I'm offering this simple phrase  
to kids from one to ninety-two.  
Although it's been said  
many times, many ways...  
Merry Christmas to you.

Her high voice harmonized with Santa's wonderful laughter as they flew into the night.

__

Merry Christmas to you.


End file.
